One of the most taxing parts about moving is packing. You never realize how much stuff you actually have until you have to pack it all up into boxes. You might even be confused where to start with your packing.

This list offers ideas on how to pack to move:

Create a Master Moving To-Do List: When you move, there are a lot of important tasks and reminders that you’ll want to remember. No matter how small or how seemingly obvious, write it down. Even the most obvious task can be forgotten in the craziness that is moving, and writing it down ensures that you won’t forget anything.

Use The Right Size Boxes: Put heavier items, like books, in smaller boxes and light items, like pillows, in bigger ones. One of the most common complainants from professional movers are large boxes packed with heavy items. Not only does it make the job harder, but it makes the possibility of something breaking much larger.

Pack From Heavy to Light: When packing boxes, place the heavier items on the bottom of boxes and the lighter items on top. In addition, if you are loading the truck by yourself, make sure to pack heavier boxes first toward the front of the truck to maintain balance.

No Empty Spaces: When packing, fill in any gaps with clothing, towels, or packing paper. Not only do the spaces give more room for items to shift and make it easier for them to break, but some movers won’t move boxes that they feel are loosely packed or unbalanced.

Label Each Box: On each box, label with the room it’s for and a description of the contents of the box. This will help you and the movers know where the boxes belong in the new house. Make sure to not mix items for different rooms in the same box. In addition, keep a list of everything you packed in a notebook to ensure you still have everything once you unpack.

Tape Well: When taping, use a few piece to close the bottom and top seams, then make a couple of wraps around the box’s top and bottom edges. This is where the stress is concentrated, so extra support is always a good idea.

Moving Valuables: Moving valuables can be a nerve-wracking part of the packing process. If you’re moving expensive art, there is special crating you should use and can ask your moving company about. If you have oil paintings, do NOT wrap them in regular paper, as it will stick to the painting. If you pictures are framed behind glass, make an X with masking tape across the tape. This will strengthen the glass and hold it together if it happens to shatter. If you’re packing your TV, movers treat them as a piece of furniture and they are wrapped in quilted furniture pads. If you have a plasma TV and do not still have the original box, ask your moving company about a special wooden crate. Do not lay a plasma TV flat, as it can ruin the TV.

Bundle Breakables: If you have anything that is fragile, such as dishes, put packing paper around each one and then bundle five or six together. If you are packing dishes, make sure you pack them on their side, and not flat. Cups and bowls can be placed inside of each other and wrapped in bundles of three or four. Dishware should be packed in dish-barrel boxes.

Pick the Right Moving Day: Hire your movers about a month out. If you can, try to schedule your move during the week. Moving companies are the busiest during the weekends, so scheduling on a weekday might give you more time with the company and a possible discount.

Pack the Items You Need in a Clear Plastic Bin: Put items like a box cutter, paper towels, trash bags, phone chargers, and other such items into a plastic bin. This will separate your essentials from the other boxes, and allow you to find it easily in the sea of brown boxes.

Pack an Overnight Bag: When packing, set aside a bag with all of your essentials, including a change of clothes and toiletries. It’s possible that you will be too tired to unpack after a long day of moving, so having a bag ready with all your stuff is great for when you just want to crash instead of looking through your boxes to get everything you need. It may be a good idea to pack your laptop or other handheld electronics in your overnight bag to ensure they do not get stolen in the moving process.

Show Up Before the Move: If you can, go to your new home before the move and clean up the bathroom and kitchen. Doing things such as hanging up a new shower curtain or filling your linens closet with bath towels can make the end of the moving day a lot easier and more relaxing.

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